California abandons plan to tax text messages.

https://edition.cnn.com/2018/12/16/tech/california-text-tax-vote-canceled/index.html

California regulators no longer plan to tax text messages.

The California Public Utilities Commission said a new FCC ruling prevented the state from levying a tax on text plans. The state hoped to add new monthly fees onto wireless customers' bills to increase funds for programs that bring connectivity to underserved residents. Regulators were scheduled to vote on the measure on January 10, 2019.

The FCC put the text tax's future in doubt when it issued a new rule on December 12 determining text messages constitute an "information service" — not a "telecommunications service." CPUC commissioner Carla Peterman withdrew the text tax propsal "in light of the FCC's action."

Here is an update to the #texting surcharge proposal before @californiapuc. pic.twitter.com/6QziYqQKXY

— California PUC (@californiapuc) December 15, 2018

Proponents of the FCC's new rule say it will give carriers the ability to crack down on spam messages, and critics say it could lead to carriers censoring messages. The FCC did not immediately respond to a request for comment Sunday.

The CPUC's proposed text tax faced strong opposition from industry trade groups, including CTIA, which represents AT&T Mobility, Sprint, and T-Mobile. (AT&T is the parent company of CNN.)

The industry group said the CPUC proposal would have created inequity "between wireless carriers and other providers of messaging services," such as WhatsApp, iMessage and Skype. In a legal filing, CTIA called the text tax plan "illogical, anticompetitive, and harmful to consumers."

CTIA did not immediately respond to a request for comment Sunday.

Taxing text messages, I see. And if the FCC hadn't issued a new rule California would have actually gone forward trying to implement this. Would have loved for this proposal to go forward, could have seen at what pressure point this stupidity actually would have gone down. Maybe seen if California has any Yellow Vests within.

I was going to post this the other day. Supposedly it was to replace an old law with landlines which doesn't make money anymore.

Oh good, more consumption taxes.

seems similar to how states plan to handle gasoline taxes if/when in the future more and more cars become electric. how to do maintain roadways then?

@Master_Live: Darn, what a shame

Taxing something like texts seemed like such a good idea.

They should tax skinny jeans.

California needs to fix a lot more in their state over silly text taxing. Try voting out the Democrats if you want to fix your state.

I also could say vote out the GOP to fix all of those Red southern states that absolutely decimate USA's average income, average health, obesity rates, education ranking, and use the most federal aid.